On Tuesday, March 5, per Karán’s directive, we laid a portion of her ashes to rest in the kitchen garden in one of her watering buckets she made, which is positioned near a tree. We read two of her poems as each person present dropped a pinch of ashes under the flowing water that went directly into the ground near the tree. We also placed her ashes in the memorial garden at Hennacy House, where she asked to be placed. Karán Founds-Benton – ¡PRESENTE!

On Sunday, March 3, Ann Boden and Martha and Jesse Lewis invited the LACW community to their place in Santa Clarita to celebrate Mardi Gras. There was plenty of appetizers, beverages, great food, and yummy desserts. Although Theo was not feeling well with a cold, he still picked up his guitar and began playing songs that included many sing-a-long tunes. A good time was had by all. In photos – above left: Dimitri and Susan, above right: Patty and Theo, at left: Megan

Deeply convinced of the
Gospel’s radical truths, and inspired by the life of Jesus Christ, the saints,
and martyrs, we strive to embody a Catholic Worker vision as articulated by our
founders, Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin.

Our emphases are the Corporal Works of Mercy
(ministering to and living amongst the homeless, poor, sick, disturbed, and
imprisoned), the Spiritual Works of Mercy (nourishing the spiritual hungry and
renewing the Church through loving prophetic challenge), and taking action
against the causes of poverty, oppression, racism, and sexism. We seek to be
nonviolent and opposed to all war, and personify Jesus’ call to be peacemakers.

Recognizing our own complicity in the
world’s violence and injustice, we continue to clarify our thoughts and deepen
our spiritual life through scriptural study, prayer, reflection, dialog, and
action.

We strive to form community with a strong
Christian spirituality. This enables us to share our lives in voluntary poverty
(simple living) with those who are broken; not just for their benefit, but ours
as well, realizing we are all members of the Body of Christ and we celebrate
this mystery in sharing bread with the poor and breaking bread in the
Eucharist.

LOS ANGELES CATHOLIC WORKER MISSION STATEMENT

As a Catholic Worker Community, we are
grounded in the visions of Sabbath Jubilee and Restorative Justice. Our history
is the history of the Hebrew Scriptures: of Genesis and Exodus, powerful
stories of God’s economy of grace and God’s mighty outstretched arm to liberate
the oppressed. Our history is the story of a dysfunctional family and tribe, of
the concentration of power into monarchy, of exile and return. We cling to a
vision of heroic smallness, that personal acts of kindness are the seeds of
God’s Reign, and remaining marginal is essential to staying at the center of
our story.

Jesus is the heart of our story, as the
Human One who calls us back to the vision of trust in God’s creation, release
to the captives, and justice for the poor. The Sermon on the Mount is our
manifesto with Matthew 25: 31-46 our action plan. We dedicate ourselves to
comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable through the following:

Listed below are the Catholic Worker Movement Aims and Means as published in the 85th Anniversary Issue of The Catholic Worker newspaper, May 2018.

The aim of the Catholic Worker movement is to live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ. Our sources are the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures as handed down in the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, with our inspiration coming from the lives of the saints, “men and women outstanding in holiness, living witnesses to Your unchanging love.” (Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer for holy men and women)

This
aim requires us to begin living in a different way. We recall the words of our
founders, Dorothy Day who said, “God meant things to be much easier than
we have made them,” and Peter Maurin who wanted to build a society
“where it is easier for people to be good.”

* * *

When
we examine our society, which is generally called capitalist (because of its
methods of producing and controlling wealth) and is bourgeois (because of
prevailing concern for acquisition and material interests, and its emphasis on
respectability and mediocrity), we find it far from God’s justice.

—In
economics, private and state capitalism bring about an unjust distribution
of wealth, for the profit motive guides decisions. Those in power live off the
sweat of others’ brows, while those without power are robbed of a just return
for their work. Usury (the charging of interest above administrative costs) is
a major contributor to the wrongdoing intrinsic to this system. We note,
especially, how the world debt crisis leads poor countries into greater
deprivation and a dependency from which there is no foreseeable escape. Here at
home, the number of hungry and homeless and unemployed people rises in the
midst of increasing affluence.

—In
labor, human need is no longer the reason for human work. Instead, the
unbridled expansion of technology, necessary to capitalism and viewed as
“progress,” holds sway. Jobs are concentrated in productivity and
administration for a “high-tech,” war-related, consumer society of
disposable goods, so that laborers are trapped in work that does not contribute
to human welfare. Furthermore, as jobs become more specialized, many people are
excluded from meaningful work or are alienated from the products of their
labor. Even in farming, agribusiness has replaced agriculture, and, in all
areas, moral restraints are run over roughshod, and a disregard for the laws of
nature now threatens the very planet.

—In
politics, the state functions to control and regulate life. Its power has
burgeoned hand in hand with growth in technology, so that military, scientific
and corporate interests get the highest priority when concrete political
policies are formulated. Because of the sheer size of institutions, we tend
towards government by bureaucracy–that is, government by nobody. Bureaucracy,
in all areas of life, is not only impersonal, but also makes accountability,
and, therefore, an effective political forum for redressing grievances, next to
impossible.

—In
morals, relations between people are corrupted by distorted images of the
human person. Class, race and gender often determine personal worth and position
within society, leading to structures that foster oppression. Capitalism
further divides society by pitting owners against workers in perpetual conflict
over wealth and its control. Those who do not “produce” are
abandoned, and left, at best, to be “processed” through institutions.
Spiritual destitution is rampant, manifested in isolation, madness, promiscuity
and violence.

—The
arms race stands as a clear sign of the direction and spirit of our age. It
has extended the domain of destruction and the fear of annihilation, and denies
the basic right to life. There is a direct connection between the arms race and
destitution. “The arms race is an utterly treacherous trap, and one which
injures the poor to an intolerable degree.” (Gaudium et Spes)

* * *

In
contrast to what we see around us, as well as within ourselves, stands St.
Thomas Aquinas’ doctrine of the Common Good, a vision of a society where the
good of each member is bound to the good of the whole in the service of God.

To
this end, we advocate:

—Personalism,
a philosophy which regards the freedom and dignity of each person as the
basis, focus and goal of all metaphysics and morals. In following such wisdom,
we move away from a self-centered individualism toward the good of the other.
This is to be done by taking personal responsibility for changing conditions,
rather than looking to the state or other institutions to provide impersonal
“charity.” We pray for a Church renewed by this philosophy and for a
time when all those who feel excluded from participation are welcomed with
love, drawn by the gentle personalism Peter Maurin taught.

–A
decentralized society, in contrast to the present bigness of government,
industry, education, health care and agriculture. We encourage efforts such as
family farms, rural and urban land trusts, worker ownership and management of
small factories, homesteading projects, food, housing and other
cooperatives–any effort in which money can once more become merely a medium of
exchange, and human beings are no longer commodities.

–A
“green revolution,” so that it is possible to rediscover the
proper meaning of our labor and our true bonds with the land; a distributist
communitarianism, self-sufficient through farming, crafting and appropriate
technology; a radically new society where people will rely on the fruits of
their own toil and labor; associations of mutuality, and a sense of fairness to
resolve conflicts.

* * *

We
believe this needed personal and social transformation should be pursued by the
means Jesus revealed in His sacrificial love. With Christ as our Exemplar, by
prayer and communion with His Body and Blood, we strive for practices of:

—Nonviolence.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of
God.” (Matt. 5:9) Only through nonviolent action can a personalist
revolution come about, one in which one evil will not simply be replaced by
another. Thus, we oppose the deliberate taking of human life for any reason,
and see every oppression as blasphemy. Jesus taught us to take suffering upon
ourselves rather than inflict it upon others, and He calls us to fight against
violence with the spiritual weapons of prayer, fasting and noncooperation with
evil. Refusal to pay taxes for war, to register for conscription, to comply
with any unjust legislation; participation in nonviolent strikes and boycotts,
protests or vigils; withdrawal of support for dominant systems, corporate
funding or usurious practices are all excellent means to establish peace.

—The
works of mercy (as found in Matt. 25:31-46) are at the heart of the Gospel
and they are clear mandates for our response to “the least of our brothers
and sisters.” Houses of hospitality are centers for learning to do the
acts of love, so that the poor can receive what is, in justice, theirs, the
second coat in our closet, the spare room in our home, a place at our table.
Anything beyond what we immediately need belongs to those who go without.

—Manual
labor, in a society that rejects it as undignified and inferior.
“Besides inducing cooperation, besides overcoming barriers and
establishing the spirit of sister and brotherhood (besides just getting things
done), manual labor enables us to use our bodies as well as our hands, our
minds.” (Dorothy Day) The Benedictine motto Ora et Labora reminds
us that the work of human hands is a gift for the edification of the world and
the glory of God.

—Voluntary
poverty. “The mystery of poverty is that by sharing in it, making
ourselves poor in giving to others, we increase our knowledge and belief in
love.” (Dorothy Day) By embracing voluntary poverty, that is, by casting
our lot freely with those whose impoverishment is not a choice, we would ask
for the grace to abandon ourselves to the love of God. It would put us on the
path to incarnate the Church’s “preferential option for the poor.”

We
must be prepared to accept seeming failure with these aims, for sacrifice and
suffering are part of the Christian life. Success, as the world determines it,
is not the final criterion for judgments. The most important thing is the love
of Jesus Christ and how to live His truth.

The past two weeks have passed extremely expeditiously. These five amazing women (and their helpers) have made many Skid Row residents not only happy, but feeling comfortable and grateful. They soaked and bathed tired, worn, and aching feet, cut and filed toenails, gently provided cuticle, bunion, and callus care. In-grown toenails and infections were also treated. They applied medication and lotion along with foot messages, and new socks and shoes when needed. These lovely women provide a ministry that allow their clients to experience cloud nine in a very harsh and oppressive environment.

We at the LACW are honored and privileged to have them join us in our work serving the poorest of the poor in Los Angeles. Pictured above are: Saima, Judy, Nancy, Rev. Kathleen, and Maggie–all from Olympia, Washington. Thank you for sharing your love and compassion. Hope to see you again next January, and many blessings through the year.

Each January, for two weeks, (January 14 – 27) five to seven beautiful, wonderful, and amazing women from Olympia, Washington, travel down to the LACW to offer full foot care to the Skid Row poor and homeless. Last week they began their ministry and have a fully booked schedule each day Tuesday – Saturday from 7:00 am until noon performing full foot care. Welcome back Rev. Kathleen, Maggie, Saima, Judy, and Nancy. See more photos HERE.

The marshal took one look at me and asked, “What is this you’re wearing?” “It’s my prayer shawl,” I said sheepishly, thinking he would ask me to remove it.

“Well, I
guess it’s okay since you have a right to keep a religious article of clothing
while we’re processing you,” he said while handcuffing me. I couldn’t have been
any more surprised but grateful to have this shawl with me for the next six
hours as I was transferred from holding cell to holding cell, waiting to be led
to the Metropolitan Detention Center where I would be for the next seven days.

The shawl
was given to me by my community the day before at a liturgy where I received
their blessing and sending forth. It was the same community that also stood
alongside me at the gates of Vandenberg Air Force Base on the 73rd anniversary
of the bombing of Hiroshima, when we cried out for an end to the madness of
nuclear weapons and their testing, and I crossed the green line. With the shawl
around me, I felt the love and prayers from them and many others who affirmed the
decision. The holding cells are, if nothing else, a place to wait. In the cold
concrete cells, one enters into a certain space where the anticipation of what
is to come along with the fresh memories of what was just lived come together
in a kind of vortex that leaves one feeling hollow inside. It is an invitation
to pray. And that is exactly what I did.

Arriving on
the prison floor, I was greeted with the barking orders of the guard telling me
to carry my mattress to the cell assigned to me. Immediately, a young woman
prisoner ran over and offered her assistance in carrying the mattress. Having
made it to the cell, another woman offered pants and a shirt as gifts so that I
could remove the oversized jump suit that had replaced my street clothes and
shawl taken from me minutes before. After initial exchanges and welcome from
the three women in the cell, food was then offered. Within the first 15 minutes
of being in federal prison, I was greeted with kindness, clothing and food; all
offered by the ones this society says are despicable enough to cage like
animals.

In a
country where so much lip service is given assuring us of our collective freedom,
those imprisoned are often considered pariahs. Incarceration is the trump card
held by authorities wanting us to comply or else. But the prisons that cage our
bodies can often be more secure than the ones that cage our spirits. The women
in my cell had a certain freedom that could not and would not be confined. Many
of the women, for example, had no one to give them extra money to put on their
books and so they shared with one another. Elaborate meals were created with
each putting in something from their commissary. I learned that you can even
make Pozole (a traditional Mexican soup that’s usually made with hominy) using
corn-nuts soaked in water! The letters that arrived for the few would be shared
among the many and all would celebrate the pictures of the babies or other
family members being passed around.

As I observed all of this, the richness of humanity overwhelmed me and inevitably I would start crying at the sense of wonder and awe in observing the Kin-dom of God created among the women at M.D.C! Often they would gather around me wanting to console me as they thought I was crying because I missed home. I hadn’t anticipated finding renewed hope in humanity in prison and yet there it was together with the noise, sensory deprivation and confinement.

It is no
accident that Jesus was born in a stable; that our Savior shared space with the
cows and farm animals and that he had only his parents and the shepherds to
celebrate his arrival into this world. God’s genius of incarnated love in the
place you least expect it – incarcerated! Unexpectedly, Advent arrived early for
me. I’m sure Judge LaMothe who imposed this “punishment” had no idea she was
gifting me with a window into the mystery of God; One who wants to be born in a
stable, in prison, in soup kitchens, in refugee camps, in the fields with the
farm-workers. The radiant star that guides us is suffering humanity. The bad
news, it’s everywhere. The Good News, it’s everywhere!

Dennis Apel is a longtime antiwar activist and the co-founder, along with his wife Tensie Hernandez, of our sister house Catholic Worker community in Guadalupe, CA. In 2016, Apel and LACW Jeff Dietrich, served four months in federal prison for “crossing the line” during a protest at Vandenberg Air Force Base marking the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and then refusing to comply with probation.

In “Crossing the Line,” Deborah Tobola weaves together a narrative using journal entries written by Apel during his imprisonment that were originally published by the Santa Barbara Independent. Formerly incarcerated actors from Poetic Justice Project help bring the story of this longtime peace activist to life in a play that is authentic and accessible.

Karán’s celebration of life memorial will be held on Saturday, January 26 from 11 am to 1:30 pm in Mission Viejo. Please call Sarah at the LACW – 323-770-4168, for location and to RSVP on or before Friday, January 18, that Karán’s family can plan accordingly. Thank you.

On Friday, December 21, LACW community members attended the annual Homeless Memorial for all Skid Row residents who died over the past year. Although the names of those associated with the Hippie Kitchen were not printed in the program, Catherine read the names of our guests at the Hippie Kitchen, along with our own Karán Founds-Benton. With each person named Catherine gave a brief background of who that person was. It was a nice ceremony to remember and honor our departed sisters and brothers. May they rest in peace.